Udayana of Vatsa
Also called: Udayana · Topic: Janapadas, Mahajanapadas and the Second Urbanisation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Udayana was king of Vatsa. He ruled from Kaushambi, near Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, in the time of the Buddha. History tells us little about his actual reign. Later Sanskrit literature, however, made him a favourite hero. His love story with Queen Vasavadatta, a princess of Avanti, was retold many times.
Example
Bhasa's Sanskrit play Svapnavasavadattam ("Vasavadatta in a dream") has Udayana as its hero. Later, the king-poet Harsha also wrote plays about him, Ratnavali and Priyadarshika.
Don't confuse with
- Udayin (Udayabhadra): Udayin was a king of Magadha and the son of Ajatashatru. Udayana ruled Vatsa.